  Vanished thus the King of Serpents—set Nishadha's raja forth, Rituparna's royal city—on the tenth day entered he. Straight before the royal presence—"Vahuca am I," he said, "In the skill of taming horses—on the earth is not my peer; Use me, where the difficult counsel—where thou want'st the dexterous hand; In the art of dressing viands Whatsoe'er the art, whatever—be most difficult to do, I will strive to execute it—take me to thy service, king." Rituparna spake. "Vahuca, I bid thee welcome—all this service shalt thou do, On my horses' rapid motion—deeply is my mind engaged. Take thou then on thee the office—that my steeds be fleet of foot, Of my horse be thou the master—hundred hundreds is thy pay: Ever shalt thou have for comrades—Varshneya and Jivala: With these two pursue thy pleasure—Vahuca, abide with me." Thus addressed, did Nala, honoured—by king Rituparna long, With Varshneya in that city—and with Jivala abide: There abode he, sadly thinking—of Vidarbha's daughter still. In the evening, every evening—uttered he this single verse; "Where is she, by thirst and hunger—worn, and weary, pious still, Thinking of her unwise husband—in whose presence is she now!" Thus the raja, ever speaking—Jivala one night addressed; Once belonged a peerless lady—most infirm of word was he; From some cause from her dissevered—went that frantic man away, In his foolish soul thus parted—wanders he, by sorrow racked; Night and day, and still for ever—by his parching grief consumed: Nightly brooding o'er his sorrows—sings he this sad single verse. O'er the whole wide earth a wanderer—chance-alighting in some place, Dwells that woful man, unworthy,—ever wakeful with his grief. Him that noble lady following—in the forest lone and dread, Lives, of that bad man forsaken—hard it is to say, she lives! Lone, and young, the ways unknowing—undeserving of such fate, Pines she there with thirst and hunger—hard it is to say, she lives. In that vast and awful forest—haunted by fierce beasts of prey, By her lord she roams forsaken—hapless, by that luckless lord." Thus remembering Damayanti—did Nishadha's king unknown, Long within that dwelling sojourn—in the palace of the king. |
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